Transition

Concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere

July 16 Green Energy News

World:

A national fleet of six tidal lagoon power plants could contribute £3.1 billion a year to the UK’s gross domestic product, according to a study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research examining Tidal Lagoon Power’s plans to build six projects. [reNews]

Scatec Solar has completed a 40 MW solar plant in South Africa. Annual production will be around 94 million kWh, enough to cover the electricity demand of about 20 000 South African households. [Renewable Energy Focus]

Spanish manufacturer Gamesa has signed deals to supply 100 MW in Mexico and 190 MW in the United States. The US contract was agreed with EDP Renováveis and covers 95 G114 2 MW turbines at the Waverly wind farm in Coffey County, Kansas. [reNews]

Shinsei Bank Ltd, a lender for Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s clean-energy projects in Japan, plans to provide as much as $2 billion in loans for renewable developments. Shinsei is among lenders increasing financing for clean-energy projects in Japan. [eco-business.com]

2040-50 may finally be the decade when the installed renewable energy capacity in India would overtake the coal-based installed capacity, if the Integrated Plan for Desert Power Development is fully realized. The plan is called ambitious. [CleanTechnica]

Australia’s investment in large-scale renewable energy all but dried up in the first half of 2014 amid uncertainty fueled by the government’s latest review of the mandatory target, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. [Sydney Morning Herald]

Project developers have been invited to apply for qualification to the Ontario Power Authority’s next Large Renewable Procurement round, which will see as much as 440 MW of wind and solar capacity allocated. [Recharge]

Nigeria’s Minister of Power says plans are in place for solar technology solution to replace the generators run with diesel as primary source of energy for the rural electrification projects across the country. [WorldStage]

UK-wide greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 12% between 2007 and 2012, according to a study by the Committee on Climate Change. The report says the first carbon budget was met “through a combination of the impact of the recession and low-carbon policies.” [reNews]

US:

In Massachusetts, new legislation would accomplish the stated objectives of the Patrick Administration, including a deployment target of 1,600 MW of solar PV (four times current levels) by 2020, while addressing core concerns of the utilities. [Energy Collective]

Microsoft has signed its biggest renewable energy agreement, committing to buy the output of a 175 MW wind farm in Illinois. The 20 year deal commits Microsoft to buying the output of the 175 MW Pilot Hill wind project. [TechWeekEurope UK]

Northern Power Systems, a next-generation renewable energy technology company based in Vermont, has launched a new 60 kW permanent magnet/direct drive wind turbine. The unit was specifically engineered for the Italian and other low wind regime markets. [Stockhouse]

Rather than simply working against the (likely inevitable) spread of distributed generation, Vermont’s Green Mountain Power has been transforming itself into a company with a business model that puts renewable energy and distributed generation at its core. [CleanTechnica]

Just when Cape Wind officials thought it was safe to go back in the water, the GOP-controlled House approved an energy and water appropriations bill that included a measure to bar a $150 million federal loan guarantee for the Nantucket Sound offshore wind farm. [RenewablesBiz]